


A break in the noise

by oneatatime



Category: Kamen Rider Saber
Genre: M/M, debatably neurodiverse person, experiencing a sensory overload, minor mention of others - Freeform, set a few years pre series, this is one of those all Riders are polyamorous stories, this might just possibly be influenced by the noise around me right now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28728507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneatatime/pseuds/oneatatime
Summary: The talking was too bright, too bouncy. It jangled in his ears. A mass of voices turning into one giantnoise.His fingers tightened on his forearms. When had he even folded his arms?Better get out of here, before he broke down, or yelled at them.
Relationships: Daishinji Tetsuo/Ogami Ryou
Kudos: 10





	A break in the noise

It was just too much.

Everyone was happy. That part was great. He didn't have a problem with that part. 

The roar went up again. "Cheers!" 

Ryo was often one of the worst. Grinning in the middle of it all. Boisterous and happy. It was aggravating just how loud Ryo could be. He could be so respectful, and so quiet, sometimes, even when he was talking! He wasn’t incapable of being quiet! But other times he was just _overwhelming._

Ryo wasn’t there just now, though. Hm. Where had he gone? 

Ren and Kento had arms around each other, clinking their glasses together. Kento was often tucked against Ryo’s side, but he was clearly having the time of his life. Ren was essentially a brother to him, and there were other adults present, as well. 

There were only another ten or so people around them, including Nagamine-san and little Rintaro, who was basically his adoring shadow. Adults and children. There was a bright-haired child of Tetsuo’s own race, who looked to be about the same age as little Sora (eight months) but was about six times that. A carved wooden table with food and drink, a little alcohol, but mostly age-appropriate for the children. Not a huge group, not really. But loud enough. Even without Ryo. 

Tetsuo wasn’t even sure what this party was _for._ Someone’s birthday? The changing of the seasons? He spoke to them all often enough. It wasn’t like he kept to his own quiet workspace all the time; there was always something to do, someone to help. Injuries to bind, strategy to discuss, swordsmen and swordswomen to yell at, swords to heal (even if he hadn’t managed to heal his own Suzune yet). But he was clueless when it came to this kind of thing. 

Sophia wasn’t bothered by the noise, for all that she was generally a quiet person. She leaned on the railing nearby, and smiled at him when she saw him looking over. Not really participating, apart from the smoked egg sandwich held delicately between two fingers, but happy to be there. Why couldn’t he be the same? 

His breathing was coming faster and faster. 

None of them got it. He didn’t need all of them to understand how hard this was, he didn’t want everyone fussing over him, and he definitely didn’t want to wreck the party. But _none_ of them-!

The talking was too bright, too bouncy. It jangled in his ears. A mass of voices turning into one giant _noise._ His fingers tightened on his forearms. When had he even folded his arms? 

Better get out of here, before he broke down, or yelled at them. 

Maybe he’d check on Sora. 

Sora was too noisy, sometimes, too, but he was only a baby. He was simple and straightforward, with no messy emotions pushing at Tetsuo behind the words. And – and he was Ryo’s, which helped. Ryo, for all that he was too noisy, seemed to have a subliminal understanding of just when Tetsuo needed a task, or needed someone to hold, and then he’d find Sora in his arms and Ryo grinning cheerfully at him. 

(He was much more careful about times when Tetsuo needed to hold _him_ , instead, but that happened, too. Infrequently enough that Tetsuo knew that Ryo was being considerate of his issues around touch. Frequently enough that Tetsuo knew that he was allowing himself to enjoy hugging Tetsuo, too.)

Tetsuo tapped on the door to Ryo’s room, already feeling infinitesimally better. It was dark, cool and quiet in these back corners of the base. No answer, so he pushed the door open.

The room was lit by a small lamp in the far corner. 

There was a tiny sleeping bundle in the crib, which was a handcarved delight with pixies and dragons and water-fairies cascading up the sides. Tetsuo was still working on the gryphon in one corner. 

There was a larger sleeping bundle on the bed. 

More of a lump, really. 

It wasn’t that much of a surprise. Ryo did leave Sora alone for a while now and then, if he were asleep, even if there were no other adults around. But never for long. 

Ryo had always been good at sleeping anywhere, but his skills had improved since Sora had been born and he started taking his turns at twenty four hour care of him. He could pass out anywhere, including sometimes in the corner of Tetsuo’s workspace. On the wooden floor. Not even carpet! This happened often enough, especially once they’d lost Kamijo-san and Fukamiya-san, that Tetsuo had sighed and had provided a little grey and orange pillow for him. 

Right now, though, Ryo had quite sensibly passed out on the bed. Face down, coat on a chair in a corner. 

There was enough quiet in the room that Tetsuo could just… could just hold on to it, hold on to the small noises. Little Sora’s breathing was nearly silent, and his wants were simple. Family, nourishment, comfort. 

Ryo was only marginally louder. Soft, small purr-snores. Barely audible. Breathing contentment and comfort and family.

Tetsuo stood for a moment, eyes closed, taking it all in. Breathing himself. 

Ah, he thought. It’s comfortable because I _am_ family. 

The rest of the Sword of Logos people – they were family, as well. But it was different, somehow, with these two, even if they were both sometimes far too loud. 

The darkness weighed on his eyeballs, so he kept his eyes closed as he padded unerringly towards the bed. 

He laid down next to Ryo, not quite touching, then made a decision. He shifted himself backwards. His back to Ryo’s front, arms folded across his own front. Focusing on the rhythm of Ryo’s purr-snores. 

***

The gentle fingers in his hair woke him, but only barely. 

He was being unfair in thinking that none of them understood his particular sensitivities. They were all good people, and all of them had their own issues, even if none of them shared his.

It was… it was helpful that Ryo often did, in fact, get it. It was a relief. It was particularly helpful that Ryo didn’t go on and on about it. Talking too much about a problem with people talking too much would be counter intuitive at best. 

Ryo’s voice was a low rumble in his chest, vibrating against Tetsuo’s back. “All okay?” 

“Yes,” Tetsuo murmured sleepily. Words were still not easy. Then he thought a moment about what Ryo needed to know, about what he needed to tell him, about what he could say, and added, “Now.”


End file.
